Built-in Country Charm

March 19, 1988|By Denise Salvaggio of The Sentinel Staff

The watercolor in Sam and Cathey Bowers' family room depicts an old- fashioned farmhouse nestled among tall shade trees. A visitor soon learns the charming dwelling was an actual place -- the Tennessee farm of Bowers' grandmother.

Although the house fell to a land developer's wrecking ball last year, the Bowers remodeled their College Park home to evoke the cheerful ambiance of the farmhouse.

''It was a place where we felt very peaceful,'' Bowers said of his grandmother's house. ''We wanted to capture some of that atmosphere here.''

The Bowers acted on an instant attraction to the 50-year-old house when they bought it in 1983. A red barrel tile roof was a plus. The house's building material of long, thin concrete block that resembled brick was another selling point. Lush, mature trees like those in the painting provided a cool canopy.

There were drawbacks. The roof needed repair -- a tricky task because the clay tiles are no longer made. Rain flooded the screened-in front porch, while the screened back porch was too small and exposed to be comfortable.

The family -- which includes 21-year-old daughter Amanda -- was strapped for space by the house's cramped, dank kitchen, three small bedrooms and single bathroom.

Also, said Bowers, ''One of the things we looked for in a College Park house was wood floors. Wouldn't you know this place didn't have them.''

The couple waited a year after moving in to ''get a feel'' for what needed to be done, then consulted Orlando architect Steven Hepner. The Bowers acted as their own contractors to save money, juggling the responsibility of hiring and overseeing workers with running their nearby picture framing studio.

Remodeling took nine months -- excluding a summer break -- and about $50,000. The project not only added 500 square feet to the original 1,800- square-foot house, but created the inviting cottage look the Bowers wanted -- right down to the wood floors.

Prefinished birch flooring from Sweden was installed throughout. The floor's warm blond tone set the scene for the interior's fresh upscale country personality. New wall-to-wall carpet was used in Amanda's room at her request. To gain height in the living room, dining room and kitchen, the Bowers removed the ceiling. This exposed thin, smooth wood roof beams that provided the desired rustic-but-refined touch. This alteration was possible because the house was built without roof insulation -- which is against modern building code standards, but was allowed 50 years ago.

A clerestory window brings in sunlight, enhancing the airy feeling. The concrete block walls, beams and roof are white.

Removing the ceiling had the added benefit of creating plant shelves above the kitchen walls. These walls originally met the ceiling, but are now open several feet to the roof. Although the kitchen seems more spacious without the low ceiling, the area was not enlarged.

''More space would have been nice,'' Mrs. Bowers said, ''but it's typical for a cottage to have a cozy kitchen.''

Enclosing the front porch created visual and functional continuity with the living room. The original stucco wall was sandblasted and paneled with wood planks, then painted white. An exterior wall of five long wood-frame vertical windows brings the outdoors inside without the inconvenience of inclement weather. The concrete floor was covered with tile in a deep peach shade.

The back porch was demolished to make way for the family room addition, which features paneled walls, a beamed ceiling and skylight. Installing large windows and French doors provided a generous view of the back yard and patio. Folk art, a vintage wood trunk used as a coffee table and an old wood icebox are among the room's country accents.

Because the Bowers wanted a modernized master bedroom, they removed the wall separating two small bedrooms. Pillars at either end of the room establish focal points and a subtle division of space between the sitting and sleeping areas. A compact, efficient bathroom was added.

Other changes included:

-- Enclosing a breezeway between the kitchen and garage to create a pantry. .

-- Installing new kitchen appliances.

-- Painting the kitchen cabinets. An oil-based white enamel was used, resulting in an almost European look.

-- Installing a scallop-shaped sink with brass fixtures in the original bathroom.

-- Building a screened atrium off the family room.

Being resourceful solved a couple of problems. The barrel tile roof was repaired with authentic material because Bowers discovered a cache in the tile graveyard of a local roofing company.

''They were exactly the same as the originals,'' he said.

The second problem was where to find two more French doors in the same obsolete style as the originals. Again, the Bowers again persevered. They found one at a garage sale and the other in a lumberyard's warehouse, where it had been forgotten for decades.